ALBUM PREVIEW: The Veils – Nux Vomica

It must be interesting to grow up as the son of an extremely accomplished musician. While it would be a fantastic environment for exposure to art and music, it could also prove to be exhausting and tiring. Finn Andrews is the son of Barry Andrews, who was a member of the accomplished XTC and Shriekback. It may be bold and too early for me to say, but Finn has the talent his father had, and possibly even more. Finn had been a musical prodigy ever since he was a young teen, such as when Columbia Records offered him a record deal at the age of 15. When he was 16, he left school to pursue a musical career. He signed with his band, The Veils, to Rough Trade in 2002 and their debut album,Â The Runaway FoundÂ was released in 2004.

The Veils’ sound is a nice mix of blues and dare I say it, New Orleans voodoo?Â Though the band is based in New Zealand, they have plenty of influences from the USA.Â The reason being that Finn is said to have a certain “possessed-like” stage appearance. Finn gathered a new lineup for their new album, Nux Vomica, set to be released this September. The sound is also a bit different, as it is a lot more energetic and keys are used more often. His father would be proud. The album as a whole is fantastic and exceeds The Runaway Found in terms of quality, showing the band’s musical maturity. The song also tend to be catchier and more accessible, which could turn off some of the larger fans. The most distinct thing about Finn is his vocals. As they are hard to describe, I could stretch it and say they have some elements of Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, and Brett Anderson. To listeners of The Runaway Found who found Finn’s voice annoying, it has become more accessible, though I sometimes prefer the rough edge. Enjoy the fantastic three tracks below, as they are the first three on the album.

Just heard “Pan”? on beebs radio 6.It’s not often that you hear a gem that makes you stop everything, turn the radio up and let yourself be totally absorbed. Persistant hooks and a magickal twist. First time I’ve heard The Veils and I’m captivated!